In pictures: Life of Kim Dae-jung

South Korea is in mourning after the announcement of the death of former President Kim Dae-jung. The 85-year-old had a pulmonary embolism and multiple organ failure.

Kim had a turbulent life, spanning many decades of South Korean politics - from harsh authoritarian rule through dramatic economic growth and the country's emergence as a democratic state.

Kim rose to prominence in the 1960s, and in 1971 narrowly lost the presidential election to Park Chung-hee, who had seized power 10 years earlier in a military coup.

During the decades of military rule that followed, Kim was branded a dangerous radical. He spent many years in jail and house arrest, survived several assassination attempts and twice fled into exile.

But finally, in December 1997 - in his fourth bid for the office - he was elected South Korea's president.

He met statesmen and pop stars, but at the start of his term in office his main priority was the economy, which was on the verge of ruin after years of spectacular growth.

But he is probably best known for his efforts to rebuild relations with his country's estranged neighbour North Korea. In 2000, he met the North's leader, Kim Jong-il, in Pyongyang for a landmark summit.

His "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with North Korea was seen as so significant that it earned Kim Dae-jung the Nobel Peace Prize.

His successor, Roh Moo-hyun, maintained the Sunshine Policy but current President Lee Myung-bak has put more conditions on dealings with Pyongyang. The two nations still have a tense relationship.